Data storage apparatus

Abstract: A data storage apparatus has a data memory (14) for storing schedule data. The schedule data includes date data, schedule contents data and pictorial symbol data representing schedule contents. When the schedule data is searched, pictorial symbols are read out from the schedule data stored in the data memory (14) and the read-out pictorial symbols are displayed. If one of the displayed pictorial symbols is selected, the schedule data associated with the selected pictorial symbol is read out and displayed on a display (15).

Description: The invention refers to a data storage apparatus for storing data relating to a personal schedule as set forth in the preamble of claim 1. In prior art data storage and retrieval systems it is known to associate symbols with data items and to use said symbols for performing retrieval operations. EP-A-0558054 discloses an image filing method and apparatus in which a plurality of images are registered one-by-one, and the registered images are retrieved by adding a retrieval condition to simplify registration and retrieval. A plurality of symbols for featuring the objects in the images are set in advance, and the images are registered to correspond to the selected symbols. At the point of image retrieval, the applicable symbols are selected from the total number of symbols, and the images corresponding to the selective symbols are read out. As the total number of symbols are presented for selection at the instant of retrieval, the user is unable to discover which symbols are assigned to registered images and which ones are not. From EP-A-0358301, a calendar display device with pictorial symbols is known, comprising a keyboard for inputting or designating a date, schedule, pictorial symbol, calendar display or the like. This device includes a processor for making a calendar, a memory for storing a pictorial symbol having a specified meaning, a schedule on the basis of a day inputted on the keyboard and a calendar made by the processor. It further comprises a display for displaying a schedule, calendar or the like. The memory stores a specified date and a specified pictorial symbol, designated by the keyboard relatively to each other and the display includes a device for displaying the specified pictorial symbol near the specified date in the calendar. The device comprises a calendar function only, i.e. the days of the weeks or months of the year are shown along with the applicable pictorial symbols. It is, however, not possible to conduct a search operation on the basis of an inputted pictorial symbol. In a conventional electronic memory apparatus such as a personal electronic notebook, data such as schedule data, which is stored in an internal memory by a user's key input in advance, is searched in the following manner. A desired date is input by a character key operation and a "Search" key is operated. Thus, date data corresponding to the input date is searched in the memory and schedule data associated with the searched date data is displayed. If a part of schedule data is input as a keyword by a character key operation and the "Search" key is operated, the schedule data is searched and displayed along with an associated stored date. Accordingly, in the conventional electronic notebook, it is necessary to input, as data to be searched, characters serving as a keyword in a pre-registered data base. Thus, a time-consuming key input operation needs to be performed. Furthermore, in the conventional electronic notebook, when one wishes to know an outline of schedule data registered as a data base, he/she needs to read and display the data base itself. As a result, an operation similar to that for a normal data search must be executed. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its object is to provide a data storage apparatus capable of making it possible for a user to understand an outline of registered data and easily search desired data, without the need to execute time-consuming key input operations such as a character input operation, a futile symbol selection operation, etc. This object of the present invention, is attained by a data storage apparatus comprising the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are subject matter of the dependent claims. This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an electronic circuit of an electronic notebook having a data storage apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows a data storage state of a schedule data registration area defined in a RAM of the electronic notebook having the data storage apparatus; FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a schedule registration process; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a pictorial symbol search process in the electronic notebook having the data storage apparatus; FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a calendar display process in the electronic notebook having the data storage apparatus; and FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show display states associated with the schedule data search operation in the electronic notebook having the data storage apparatus. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of an electronic circuit of an electronic notebook in which a data storage apparatus of the present invention is provided. This electronic notebook has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11. The CPU 11 controls operations of circuit parts according to various function execution programs pre-stored in a ROM 13, on the basis of a key input signal entered from a key input unit 12. The CPU 11 is connected to a RAM 14 and a liquid-crystal display 15, as well as to the key input unit 12 and the ROM 13. The key input unit 12 includes "Tel" key 12a for setting a telephone mode, "Sch" key 12b for setting a schedule mode and a "Cale" key 12c for setting a calendar mode. In addition, the key input unit 12 includes a "Search" key 12d for searching registered data, cursor keys 12e for selecting data displayed on the display 15, and an "Enter" key 12f for executing various designated functions. The key input unit 12 further includes a character key group 12g for inputting telephone data, schedule data, etc. In the RAM 14, the following areas are defined: a work area 14a for temporarily storing process data at the time of executing various functions; a telephone data registration area 14b for storing personal data including names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc.; and a schedule data registration area 14c for storing schedule data including dates, times, schedule content, etc. FIG. 2 shows a data storage state of the schedule data registration area 14c defined in the RAM 14. The schedule data registration area 14c has a date registration area 16, a pictorial symbol registration area 17, and a data registration area 18, and the respective areas store schedule data of associated items. A data registration process for registering data in the schedule data registration area is carried out according to a flowchart shown in FIG. 3 in the state in which a schedule mode has been set by the operation of the "Sch" key 12b. In the schedule registration process, a date input request with a message "Date?" is displayed (step F1). In reply to the message, date data is input by operating numerical keys of the character key group 12g (step F2). Then, a schedule contents input request with a message "Schedule?" is displayed (step F3). In reply, schedule contents are input (step F4). Subsequently, various kinds of pictorial symbols pre-stored in the ROM 13 are displayed, and a pictorial character input is requested (step F5). The user operates the cursor keys 12e, designates a desired pictorial symbol, and depresses the "Enter" key 12f. Thus, the designated pictorial symbol is input (step F6). The pictorial symbols represent visually the items of "leisure", "meals", "events" (e.g. concerts), etc. If the above data has been input, date data associated with schedule items are registered in the date registration area 16 of the schedule area 14c in the RAM 14 by character key input operations, and schedule contents associated with the dates are registered in the data registration area 18 by character key input operations. Further, the inputted pictorial symbols are registered in the pictoricl symbol registration area 17. Since the pictorial symbols are registered as one item of schedule data, the schedule data is classified and managed by the pictorial symbols. The operation of the electronic notebook having the above-described data storage apparatus will now be described. When schedule data is searched, the "Sch" key 12b on the key input unit 12 is operated to set the schedule mode. Then, the "Search" key 12d is operated and a search process using pictorial symbols is initiated, as shown in FIG. 4. At first, the CPU 11 determines whether schedule data is present in the schedule data registration area 14c defined in the RAM 14 (step S1). If "Yes" in step S1, i.e. if it is determined that schedule data is already registered in the schedule data registration area 14c of the RAM 14, the schedule data is read out successively from a top data unit by the CPU 11 (step S2). Then, it is determined whether or not pictorial symbol data associated with the schedule data has been registered in the pictorial symbol registration area 17 (step S3). If the pictorial symbol data has been registered, it is determined whether or not the pictorial symbol data has already been stored in the work area 14a of the RAM 14 (step S4). If the pictorial symbol data has not been stored, the pictorial symbol data is stored in the work area 14a (step S5). Therefore only different pictorial symbol data units are stored in the work area of the RAM 14. For example, if schedule data as shown in FIG. 2 is registered in the RAM 14, pictorial symbol data for "leisure" consisting of an image of golf, pictorial symbol data for "concert" consisting of an image of a piano and pictorial symbol data for "drinking" consisting of an image of a cocktail are stored successively in the work area 14a of the RAM 14. If the pictorial symbol data search/storage process for all schedule data registered in the schedule data registration area 14c is completed, various kinds of pictorial symbol data stored in the work area 14a of the RAM 14 are read out by the CPU 11 and is all displayed on the liquid-crystal display 15, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the form of a pictorial symbol pattern for "leisure", a pictorial symbol pattern for "concert" and a pictorial symbol pattern for "drink" (steps S6-S7). By displaying all pictorial symbol patterns registered in the schedule data registration area 14c, the user can recognize which kinds of schedule data has been registered, i.e. the outline of the registered schedule. If the user selects the kind of schedule which he/she wishes to know, for example, the pictorial symbol pattern for "concert", on the liquid-crystal display 15 by operating the cursor keys 12e and the user operates the "Enter" key 12f, then all concert schedule data units, "93.9.5 NJ HALL", "93.10.3 ABC THEATER", registered in the date registration area 16 and data registration area 18 associated with all pictorial symbol data for "concert" registered in the pictorial symbol registration area 17 in the RAM 14 are read out. The read-out data units are displayed on the liquid-crystal display 15, as shown in FIG. 6B (steps S8 and S9). The user is able to know necessary schedule data only by selecting the pictorial symbol pattern representing the kind of desired schedule among the various pictorial symbol patterns display on the liquid-crystal display 15, as is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. A calendar display process will now be described. The "Cale" key 12c on the key input unit 12 is operated to set the calendar mode. Thus, a process illustrated in FIG. 5 is executed. Calendar data (September 1993 in the present embodiment) corresponding to the present month is read out from ROM 13 in accordance with the operation of a timer built in the CPU 11 and displayed on the liquid-crystal display 15, as shown in FIG. 6C. A date corresponding to the present day ("5" in this case) is indicated in a reverse display mode (step A1). Subsequently, the pictorial symbol registration area 17 associated with the data unit "September 5, 1993" is accessed, and the pictorial symbol data units registered in the pictorial symbol registration area 17 (in this case, the pictorial symbol for "concert" and the pictorial symbol for "drink") are read out to the work area 14a in the RAM 14 (steps S2-S4). As is shown in FIG. 6C, the pictorial symbol pattern for "concert" and the pictorial symbol pattern for "drink" are displayed and the date of "September 5, 1993" is indicated in the reverse display mode (step S5). Accordingly, the user can know the registered schedule associated with the date by displayed pictorial symbols on the calendar displayed on the liquid-crystal display 15. If the cursor keys 12e are operated (step A6), the indicator (reversed display) is moved (step A7). When another date is designated by moving the cursor keys 12e, a pictorial symbol associated with the schedule of that date is displayed. If another mode key is depressed, the calendar display is completed (step A8). In the above-mentioned embodiment, the displayed pictorial symbol or the date in the calendar is designated by moving the cursor. According to the present invention, a transparent tablet may be provided on the liquid-crystal display 15 so that the displayed pictorial symbol or the date in the calendar can be designated by touching the symbol or the calendar date through the transparent tablet.

Claims: A data storage apparatus, having a display means (15), an input means (12) for entering schedule data wherein each schedule data entry contains a plurality of data items, at least one of the data items being a pictorial symbol data, and a data memory (14) for storing the schedule data entered by the input means (12), said apparatus characterized by: first retrieve means, responsive to a user inputting a data search command, for retrieving the pictorial symbols associated with the schedule data entries stored in said data memory (14) and displaying the retrieved pictorial symbols on the display means (15): and second retrieve means, responsive to the user selecting one of the displayed pictorial symbols, for retrieving the schedule data entries which are associated with the selected pictorial symbol data from said data memory (14) and displaying the retrieved schedule data entries on the display means (15). The data storage apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said data memory (14) has a schedule data storage area (14c), and said input means (12) has means (12g) for inputting, as data items of a schedule data entry, date data, schedule contents data and pictorial symbol data. The data storage apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said first retrieve means includes a temporary storage memory (14a), means for reading out the pictorial symbol data from said data memory (14) and performing a write operation for writing the read-out pictorial symbol data into said temporary storage memory (14a), and control means for disabling the write operation when the read-out pictorial symbol data is the same as has already been written in the temporary data memory (14a). A data storage apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said memory (14) includes a schedule data memory (14c) for storing schedule data entries including date data, schedule contents data and a pictorial symbol data representing the schedule contents; and further comprising: a mode selector (12a, 12b, 12c) for setting one of operation modes including a schedule mode and a calendar mode, said first retrieve means and said second retrieve means operating in the schedule mode, for searching all pictorial symbol data from said schedule data memory (14c) when a data search is executed and displaying the pictorial symbol data included in the schedule data and calendar display control means operated in the calendar mode, for reading out pictorial symbol data from the schedule data entries associated with a specified date and displaying the read-out pictorial symbol data with a calendar in which the specified date is indicated.

Inventors: KAKEGAWA SATORU, KAKEGAWA, SATORU, KAKEGAWA, SATORU, C/O PATENT DEPARTMENT, DEV.DIV.
Applicants: CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06Q10, G06F3, G06F17, G06F15